Children’s Awarded Magnet Status
from Practice Update, Winter 2006
The Children’s Hospital has been awarded the esteemed Magnet Status for Nursing Excellence. The designation, awarded by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), recognizes quality patient care and exemplary nursing leadership.
“We have always known the value of and excellence of our nursing staff,” said Lynne Hedrick, senior vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer at Children’s. “This coveted distinction validates our pride in Children’s nurses, and we are proud to receive the nursing profession’s highest honor.”
The intensive Magnet application process requires that hospitals submit in-depth documentation demonstrating the nursing team’s effectiveness in meeting standards for nursing care related to clinical competence and assessment, education, certification, cultural diversity, collaboration and more. ANCC representatives then perform a site visit to verify documentation before a decision is made to award Magnet status.
The designation is called “magnet” because research has demonstrated that hospitals that exhibit “magnet characteristics” have a superior ability to attract and keep high-quality nurses and therefore, provide the best in nursing care.
“Nurses are a vital component of care at Children’s, and receiving Magnet status will allow us to recruit and retain the most highly qualified skilled nurses in the industry,” said Dori Biester, PhD, RN, hospital president and CEO. “I am exceptionally proud of Children’s achievement in receiving the Magnet award and congratulate all employees who continue to provide quality patient care.”
There are more than 180 hospitals in the U.S. and one in Australia with Magnet Status. In Colorado , Children’s is the fourth hospital in the state to receive this recognition, joining Craig Hospital , the University of Colorado Hospital and Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins .
The Magnet Nursing Services Recognition Program was established in 1993 to recognize health-care organizations that provide the very best in nursing care and uphold the tradition within nursing that supports professional nursing practice.
Independent studies of Magnet hospitals have shown that patients average a shorter length of stay and higher rate of satisfaction, nurses are more satisfied with their work and the care they provide, and hospitals have an increased rate of retention among nurses.
